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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. charge — a price
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mark — a grade
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. band — a music group
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. band — a ring
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. last — final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com